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April 2023

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The subjunctive _ with SHOULD

0 likes · 74 views
Hello, GE community, 👋 Could anyone explain to me why we add should subjunctive phrases, is it for more formality? I didn't grasp its role. 1 - They recommend that she should go to a ski resort in Spain. And is it right to answer these question as follow: A1- My supervisor said it would be a good idea for me to accept this new position. A2- My supervisor suggested that I should accept this new position. B1 - "He should fix it himself," I said. B2 - I suggested that he should fix it himself.Read More...
ahmed_btm
Hi, Meriem, Sorry for my late reply. I understand your first assumption, but I don't get what you mean by the second one. In the following part from 'The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language', page 998, I think you will find the answers that you want. [ 11 ] i They demanded [that he should be freed ] [should-mandative] ii She insists f that I should have told her ] . [non-mandative] iii they insisted [ that all murderers should be hanged ] . [ambiguous] iv They suggested / recommended [...Read More...
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New5 replies

Staggering process

0 likes · 99 views
Hello, Should I use "Staggered process" or "staggering process" for the sentence below. I am scheduling end of year checking with clients on a staggering process at the moment. I will endeavour to get to you asap.Read More...
ahmed_btm
Hi, Tony, No. Grammatically speaking, a staggering process is a process that is staggering. A staggered process is a process that is staggered. I think what you mean is an organized / arranged process, which goes with 'staggered', not staggering.Read More...
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Question about Azar & Hagen's exercise on simple past/past perfect

0 likes · 116 views
Hi. I have a question about the following sentence that appears in the workbook for Azar & Hagen's UUEG (5th ed.). (1) "I grew up in Scotland until I moved to Argentina with my family. I was 12 then. Now I am 21. I lived/have lived in Scotland for 12 years." The question is about choosing between 'lived' and 'have lived', and the answer is, of course, 'lived'. I have two questions about the verb tenses: First, can I say "I had grown up in Scotland until I moved to Argentina with my...Read More...
shmom
thanks.Read More...
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New4 replies

How to parse "what better than to..."

0 likes · 85 views
Hi everyone, This is the sentence I want to ask about: (It is so easy to pick up fruits at the market when they are plentiful and so fresh during their seasonal time.) 1. So what better than to turn them into a lovely jam, jelly, or even a marmalade to bring that summer sunshine onto the table in the middle of winter. ( https://www.thespruceeats.com/...and-marmalade-435612 ) It is a common structure and I can understand the meaning, but I want to know if "what" and "better" are in the same...Read More...
Robby zhu
Got it, thanks.Read More...
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New1 reply

Being

0 likes · 45 views
"She has a hard time being on time for anything." In the above sentence, the word "BEING" what is it used for? Is it "adjective" or "verb"? If it is "adjective " or "verb" please tell me the reason also. Thanks in advance. 🙏Read More...
David, Moderator
Hi, Sundaran—"Being" is a verb. It can be parsed as a gerund, the object of an omitted preposition ("in"): "She has a hard time [in] being on time for anything."Read More...
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talking about future

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please healp me solve this question. 1- According to the new arrangements. The team ………... for the tournament every day this week. a) will practise b) will be practising c) is going to practise d) is practising My answers are ( b- will be practising & c- is going to practise ) I would really appreciate your responses.Read More...
ahmed_btm
Hi, Mr. Mahmoud, IMO, the best choice is ' b' will be practicing. 'Is going to' is not normally used when we talk about fixed arrangements. I see that specifying the time (next week) and indicating the duration of the action (every day) makes the future progressive sounds perfect here. It makes it sound even more natural than the present progressive.Read More...
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New2 replies

Reported speech

0 likes · 61 views
Ali said to me, "I'm coming to your birthday party". Change into indirect. My answer Ali told me that he was coming to my birthday party. Is it a must to change 'am coming' to ' was going to'?Read More...
ahmed_btm
I'm sorry, I missed your point, so I deleted my first comment. No, it is not a must, but it should be changed when it is clear that the speaker of the reported speech and the original speaker are in different places. Here's part from Cambridge Grammar of English: "For example, the question ‘Will you be coming here tomorrow, Jane?’ may be reported indirectly in a variety of ways, depending on where and when the report is made, and by whom. An illustration of some of the many possible changes...Read More...
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New2 replies

INVERSION _ with "either"

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Hello, Why "either" is accepted in the sentence (2) while not in the sentence (1). 1- He didn’t know the answer, and so can't I. 2- Mendes can’t type well, her sister can't either.Read More...
Meriem
Hello, Gustavo, And what do we call this type of sentence structure? like this one as well: 3- Times have changed and so have we Is it a correlation?Read More...
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New1 reply

’Nominative Absolutes’

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Hello, everyone, By Merriam-Webster dictionary “the nominative absolutes“ means a construction consisting of a noun in the common case or a pronoun in the nominative case joined with a predicate that does not include a finite verb and functioning usually as a sentence modifier but also sometimes capable of being construed as the modifier of a particular word in the sentence (as 'her head erect' in " she walked along, her head erect " or ' he being absent ' in " he being absent, no business...Read More...
f6pafd
The complete name is the nominative absolute construction or the absolute nominative construction. The three names you quoted above are all short for it.Read More...
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New4 replies

it could do nothing that is not better done elsewhere

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Hi, Is the boldfaced "not" out of place in the following? A full-scale bibliography would be out of place in a history of this nature: it could do nothing that is not better done elsewhere, for instance in the Harvard Guide to American History , ... available in paperback in Britain and an indispensable tool to anyone seriously interested in the subject. I'd appreciate your help.Read More...
raymondaliasapollyon
Thank you, David. Yes, I also think negation and comparison are doing mysterious things here. How do you handle the following sentence, with only one negation word? The thesis does not tackle any topics that are researched more thoroughly elsewhere. Does it have the following interpretation? I'm assuming an existential interpretation as you did above. There exists no topic x such that x is tackled by the thesis and x is researched more thoroughly elsewhere.Read More...
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New7 replies

Was destined

0 likes · 103 views
Can you check which sentence is right among the four sentences and why? 1) She was destined to be died in this manner. 2) She was destined to die in this manner. 3) She was destined dying in this manner. 4) She was destined having died in this manner.Read More...
Former Member
Dear David Sir, Can you suggest a good English grammar book to master on it like you?Read More...
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New2 replies

‘verb – take, require’

0 likes · 78 views
Hello, everyone, (1) To travel to New York takes four hours. (2) It takes four hours to travel to New York . (3) It takes three hours for Edward to commune to New York . (4) To solve this problem requires immediate action. (5) It requires immediate action to solve this problem . (6) This problem requires immediate action to solve . 1. For (2),(3) do you see the infinitive phrase as an extraposed subject or an adjunct of purpose? 2. Under the sentence pattens with (1),(2),(3) can the “ takes...Read More...
deepcosmos
Hello, David, how can I ever thank you enough? You did get me out of headache for long.Read More...
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New2 replies

Inversion with "not only.... but also" _ the subject and verb position in the "but also" clause

0 likes · 70 views
Hello, I wonder about the right position of the subject and the verb in the 2nd clause in an inverted clause with "not only". I've encountered mainly 3 structures: A- [ Not only + first clause, but + subject + also + verb ] B- [ Not only + first clause, but + subject + verb+ also ] C- [ Not only + first clause, but + also + subject+ verb ] I've noticed that structure B is used when the verb is "be" B1- Not only is the castle the largest in Scotland, but it is also the oldest. B2- Not only is...Read More...
Meriem
Thank you for the explanation, Gustavo.Read More...
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New1 reply

with/without having

0 likes · 38 views
Hello friends, Do you see any difference? 1- I am happy with (having) no money. (Can I omit 'having'?) 2- I am happy without (having) money. (Can I omit 'having'?) 3- Argentina won the tournament without losing a match. 4- Argentina won the tournament with losing no match.Read More...
David, Moderator
Hi, Subhajit—Yes, "having" can be omitted in (1) and (2). Sentence (3) works, but (4) does not. It's horrible. But you could say: Argentina won the tournament with no match lost.Read More...
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New1 reply

"Invention" vs "inventing"

0 likes · 36 views
Hello, there are some words in english which when are used as a gerund or a noun mean almost the same? Could you please tell me what's the difference between the following sentences? In what different conditions should we them? 1- Inventing new things is very good for human society. 2- The invention of new things is very good for human society.Read More...
Gustavo, Co-Moderator
Hi, Subhajit, Please check your mistakes above. You don't need to say "human society." "Society" alone is enough. Using the gerund (which is a verb) may suggest that the doer of the action is society as a whole (meaning: It is very good for society to invent new things ). I see the noun as a little more detached ( Inventions are very good for society ). Inventions will be the work of inventors, and society will merely benefit from them.Read More...
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Filling in

0 likes · 26 views
1. Is the below sentence grammatically correct? Assuming there is table in the following sentence and you are asking the reader to provide answers by completing the "your comments" column. I’d appreciate if you could provide responses to the following transaction list by filling in the column entitled "Your comments". 2. Can the word filling in be replaced by" by completing"?Read More...
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